One of the oldest zoos in the country, amid a beautiful, 40-acre park setting. From the animals to the Big Backyard, this could easily fill a full day. We’ve been to plenty of zoos all over, and this is by far one of our very favorites.

Ranked by Yankee Magazine as one of the five best public gardens in New England. This is an incredibly beautiful spot to run around outside in the gardens, and parents will love the gorgeous mansion. Bonus: their Fairy Weekends are amazing.

We usually only make it a couple of innings (because our daughter doesn’t like to sit still very long), but just to go on a beautiful day and enjoy a mini baseball helmet filled with ice cream is a great time.

Heritage Museums & Gardens is comprised of three galleries and expansive gardens, including galleries for American Folk Art, a vintage carousel, automobiles and traveling exhibitions. We had no idea it even existed, but once we went, we never wanted to leave.

The play area is specifically designed for children under eight years old and features a state of the art play structure as well as awesome inflatables and a 3 and under toddler area. They are super clean (we see them constantly cleaning up and vacuuming) and very friendly.

10,000 sq. feet of connected trampolines forming one GIANT jumping surface and angled trampoline walls to bounce off of. We were blown away at how simple, fun and safe this idea was. Our three year old loved it. They have special toddler time on Fridays which is key.

A must visit spot. From the giant dragon on their rooftop when you drive up to the dozen rooms inside, it is an absolutel homerun from start to finish and exceptionally interactive. Where else can you board a ship inside?

Maybe we’re partial because it is very close to our home, but we really love it here. 30 minutes of stories, music and games for preschool children, plus their children’s area is nice and compact in it’s own separate room so you’ll never lose site of the little ones.

Rock-a-Baby is an interactive music program for infants and toddlers and we love it. The group is super kid friendly (they include puppets!), plus it is such a unique experience, your kids are sure to love it.

Audubon offers a broad array of programs, classes, camps, and special events throughout the year. This is the best spot we’ve found to let our daughter just go and run. Because of their boardwalk, it is super safe and gorgeous. Plus, at the end is a beautiful view of the water.

There is your typical playground fare including swings, swing sets and great slides. The game changer is a cool walking path right behind the playground that is super shady and safe to go even with the littlest of little ones. Note: you can only use the playground after school hours and on weekends.

A weekly farmers’ market from May to October offers products from other local farms, including meat, seafood, fruit, flowers, and artisan products. Animals on display include bunnies, pigs, chicks and usually goats. We could stay and listen to the music and eat Tallula’s Taco’s from their food truck all day. Plenty of farm to explore and an absolutely awesome garden to see.

Pretty painted pottery and gleaming glass trinkets – it’s all about fun when we do the dishes – they provide everything needed to inspire your creativity. We proudly display some of the items our daughter has made there in our kitchen – like a painted cow, cat and goldfish.

At Mystic Aquarium, close encounters of the incredible kind happen every day. Nice and cool on the inside during the hot days, there is plenty of space to explore and see amazing fish, lobsters, octopus and more.

One of the largest owner-operated, full service, independent pet stores in Rhode Island, this is a great spot to see a lot of different animals. A great stop even if you’re not a pet owner. You can see hamsters, rabbits, cats, fish, snakes – even an 800 pound crocodile and a talking parrot!

The Carousel includes chariots, a camel, a lion, a giraffe, a rabbit, seahorses, and magnifcently sculpted and painted traditional horses. Beautiful. Plus a nice short “train” ride (it rides on the sidewalk around the property) for the little ones right outside will be a thrill for the little ones.

Lots of quiry little shops all in one beautiful little area. In addition, there are gorgeous gardens, flower displays, delcious food and even goats and chickens to feed on premise. A perfect morning to see some really unique sights.

Not the only beach, but our favorite. If you go early in the morning or later in the afternoon, there is usually a perfect breeze and plenty of space to play catch and dip your little ones toes in the water, without too much worry of huge waves crashing in.

South Kingston, Rhode Island

Barrington Playground

The playground has the perfect setup (directly behind the Barrington Library) for both older and younger kids. Lots of space to run and play, along with both big and small activity spots.

A great playground setup, big enough to keep you busy for at least an hour – plus animals you don’t really see often around RI including a lion and amazing gorilla encslosure (there are gorilla babies!).